"My goal is to make Mercedes the most beautiful car in the world, but also to give them style," Wagener said.

Merc’s new design boss also revealed that the show car and the Detroit sculpture previews his vision for a new front end identity for Mercedes, based on the grille of the classic 300 SL. He added that future models will have less variation at the front end than the current line-up.

"I want to make it a bit more corporate and have a little less variation than we do at the moment," he said.

Wagener has also fuelled rumours that the next CLS will be joined by an estate model, but said that it would be more in the guise of a four-door shooting brake, not a all-out wagon.

"I like the idea of bringing back a shooting brake and there would be room for such a concept. And if we did do it, it would be the most stunning car in its sector," he said.